(Make)Up While (Working) Out

The idea for this post all started with a tweet.

yslmascara1Followed closely by another tweet.

yslmascara2

To refresh your memory, I’m the lady who needs to be told how to wash her face. I’m also the one who is still learning the correct way to apply makeup. Thankfully, Influenster deems me fit to try makeup. Cam always tells me that you just play with makeup and see what looks good; it’s pretty rad to be able to play with things like YSL Mascara!

I’m getting better and better about “putting on my face” as my mom calls it when I’m going out and about. However, the Twitter conversation that followed the tweets above with a variety of pals had me wondering about people who workout with makeup on. I know I’ve personally seen women at races with full makeup and while I am not quite at that level (I’m still working on wearing makeup on the regular), I decided to test Yves Saint Laurent Mascara out for a test run! After all, if it could stand the test of a couple of hard workouts, it can definitely hold up during a night on the town.

Not that I have those very often. BUT IF I DID…

Before putting mascara wand to lash, I needed to learn how to pronounce “Yves Saint Laurent”. Sure I could have taken the easy route and continued to called it YSL, but what fun is that? Plus, I like to pretend I’m French.

Okay, cool.

Now that I knew how to say it, I could wear it. That should be a rule, in general.

First things first: you must know that Yves Saint Laurent MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS (that’s the product’s full given name) smells really, really good. I don’t make it a habit of going around smelling mascara but it’s one of those things that I noticed right away, so I have to mention it. I applied a nice coat to my upper and bottom lashes; it felt light and not clumpy at all.

But how would it hold up during a treadmill run?

treadmillmascara

I did five miles and worked up a good sweat because I am nothing if not a good sweat-er. Sweat pours from my hairline and down my face, as usual, within the first half mile. I had a white towel that I used to wipe my face throughout the workout and I kept peering at it, scared to see black streaks. I was running but YSL was not! 1 point for you, fancy mascara.

Oh, but I wasn’t done yet. The very next morning the intensity of my workout was cranked up to eleven when I hit the gym with my trainer. I applied two coats, pumping up the lashes and putting YSL mascara to a greater test. That morning was an inside/outside workout and I was sweating profusely.

springworkout

Side note: I recently added red to my hair and that was running all over the place. Seriously, one of my workout buddies was concerned that I was bleeding. It was not cute. However, my mascara? That stayed put  and was cute! Thankfully. So I didn’t look like a complete fool, only a partial one.

Another point for mascara. Hair, you fail that test. Work on bonding to the strands and get your act together (but I still love you).

yslmascara

So does mascara stand up to working out? Well, I can’t speak for every mascara but Yves Saint Laurent mascara certainly does! Up next? I plan to run in full makeup at the Atlantic City April Fools half. Why? Because I’m running in a costume that calls for it, of course! Not ready to give the costume away quite yet but I bet you’re going to love it. Any guesses?

I received Yves Saint Laurent MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

The Skin You’re In

The summer is sadly winding down and my boys and I are getting our “lasts” into these couple of weeks before school starts. Don’t get me wrong, we are all super stoked for the start of school but we’ve got things to do! Water ice treats, visits to the library (while it’s not crowded), last visits to the pool before it closes… all super important experiences.

Recently, as I was slathering sunscreen on my little guy’s body before a “last” visit to the pool, he promptly chirped up to remind me that it was “Mommy’s turn next”. I’ll admit that with my darker complexion, I sometimes skip the sunscreen.

Total mom fail! I’m super diligent when it comes to my children. They wear sunscreen and hats. I make sure that they sit in the shaded areas as much as possible. I’d walk behind them with a parasol, if I thought I could get away with it.

Why then am I neglectful when it comes to myself? I spend so much time placing importance on my health and well-being and I’m not taking care of my skin as well as I can be. My dad has had numerous bouts of skin cancer! I know better! We know better.

This video has been making the rounds on social media but in case you haven’t seen it yet, check out How the Sun Sees You.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9BqrSAHbTc&w=853&h=480]

Of course, knowing and doing are two separate processes. I know that I need to wear sunscreen and I need to make an effort to put it on every time I leave the house. But it’s easy to forget while you’re hustling the kids out the door, carrying towels, juice boxes, snacks, table tennis paddles.

A couple of weeks ago I ran out of facial cleanser so I’ve been washing my face with soap and water in the shower, after the gym or a workout. If I remember to put on moisturizer, I consider it a significant win.

flowerface

Why can’t someone just paint flowers on my face daily? So much easier.

Jess is my expert advice giver, especially when it comes to skin and makeup because she works in the beauty industry (AND SHE IS BEAUTIFUL and looks like angels kiss her skin on a daily basis); naturally I asked her for help.

Jess: “Wait, are you washing your face with SOAP SOAP?”
Me: “Well, what do you consider SOAP SOAP? It’s artisan!”
Jess: “But is it body soap?” (Sounding as horrified as one can in an email message.)
Me: “…” “Maybe?”
Jess: “For the love of Pete, Meridith. How have you survived life this long?” (Okay, she didn’t actually say that part but you could tell she was thinking it.)

I ask Jess for her opinion about practically everything in my life. And I hate disappointing her. Thankfully, she gave me some good advice in regards to daily facial routines and since sharing is caring, here’s my game plan!

1. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen.

2. Cleanser. Okay, so soap isn’t technically a cleanser and can apparently be a bit harsh on the ol’ face. Burt’s Bees has always been my go-to cleanser and Jess also mentioned Cetaphil and Aveeno because my skin is “normal”. Jess has sensitive skin so she uses Fresh Soy Face Cleanser.

3. I worry about dark marks. I have freckles and uneven skin tone so it’s a concern of mine. In regards to this, Jess recommended Clinique Even Better. I also recently got a sample of Elizabeth Arden’s Flawless Future Serum from Influenster that I’m going to try. I’m not too concerned with wrinkles… yet. But hey, can’t hurt to be proactive!

4. Moisturizer. See! I’ve got this! I ALREADY HAD ONE OF THE STEPS. *pats self on back* Personally, I use Neutrogena. Boom! Most moisturizers have SPF too so I suppose that I’m already a little bit protected from the sun, so long as I’ve moisturized.

5. Eye cream. Now this is something I would NOT have thought of, which is why Jess gets paid the big bucks! Suggestions were Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye Cream or Fresh Black Tea Eye Cream. I have yet to invest in this, primarily because I’m cheap but my face is worth it! (Why is everything so expensive? Seriously, man.)

6. Six? Yeah, I was aiming for five but this one is important. After I run or workout, if I don’t have the chance to shower immediately, I use these babies:

burtsbees

Salt and dirt, begone! Okay, maybe not GONE, but definitely less.

So, that’s the plan! Anyone who knows me knows that I like a good plan. I know I can’t erase time or years but I can be proactive and take charge today. Tally-ho!

yolo

What’s your skin care routine? Any good product recommendations for me? (Ones that won’t break the bank are always appreciated. You know, I don’t want crap but I also don’t want to waste $10 on something that won’t work instead of springing for the $80 of awesome.)